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Parker v Fury bout off

[Photo: PHOTOSPORT / Andrew Cornaga via RNZI]

Duco promoter David Higgins is fuming that British boxer Hughie Fury has pulled out of his mandatory challenge against New Zealand heavyweight Joseph Parker.

The 25-year-old Parker was set to defend his WBO world heavyweight title for the first time against Fury at Auckland's Spark Arena (formerly Vector Arena), on 6 May.

Earlier this morning the President of the WBO tweeted saying "As of today, it seems there will be no WBO Heavyweight World Title Fight in New Zealand."

Parker's promoter, Duco's David Higgins, confirmed the fight is off - he says Fury told the WBO he has an injury but Higgins has his doubts that's true.

"Since day one they didn't want to come to New Zealand.

"The fought the original negotiations then had to go to a purse bid and we won it and then elected to have the fight in New Zealand and then there were more fights over the contract negotiations. I just don't think they wanted to come here. We must remember there's probably a one in a bilion chance there is an injury," Higgins said.

Higgins said his team are trying to find a new opponent for Parker on May 6.

Fury is the cousin of troubled former undisputed heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, who was stripped of his titles last year after he cancelled a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko, as well as anti-doping allegations.